


Price of Genius

by WizWitch



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: And naturally the whole duck family, Gen, also Huey is way too smart for his own good, also this fic will have trans girl Huey stuff, and fowl is very bad, based on season three ideas, because reasons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:02:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23476657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WizWitch/pseuds/WizWitch
Summary: Fenton knew Huey was a smart kid from the day at Waddle when he fixed a problem that had been eluding him and Dr. Gearloose. Unfortunately, others soon start to catch on, and it ends up putting the kid into danger
Comments: 7
Kudos: 59





	1. A New Invention

**Author's Note:**

> Season 3 technically doesn't air for another two and a half hours
> 
> Anyway this is the fic I've been hinting at on tumblr this week. I hope y'all enjoy, I definitely am looking forward to future plot developments
> 
> Also majority of this was written on my phone at work, so... I'll double check things when I use a computer, I just wanted to get this up

"Hey, Fenton, can I borrow this—thanks!”

“Wait... huh?” Fenton looked up from the blueprints he was working on, but by the time he did, Huey was already running back to his own workbench. “Huey, what are you doing?”

Huey didn't answer as he hunched over the metal he was working with, and after a moment, curiosity got the better of Fenton. After all, the young duckling had been surprisingly secretive about his new project, scarcely asking vague questions as the only hints as to what it could be.

Besides, his blueprints didn't have to be finished right at that moment. 

Fenton stood without a word and walked over to Huey's workbench, which really was a large sheet of metal balanced on some sturdy boxes the kid found, and also was covered with spare parts Huey likely found around the lab. Working for Mr. McDuck meant nothing got wasted, but that didn't stop spare parts from accumulating--some things just didn't work their

intended project. 

Huey's focus was centered on a large handle that looked like it'd been stolen off a filing cabinet (hm, perhaps that's why Quackmaster was more irritable than normal, though it still was hard to tell) while wiring and other tech pieces were attached on with varying degrees of aesthetic. Clearly it was going to need some cleaning up and polishing in the future, but for a prototype, it wasn't bad. 

"Looks like you're making good progress on that."

Clearly, Huey hadn't noticed Fenton approaching him, since he jumped up in his seat and nearly threw a punch in Fenton's direction before stopping himself. "Oh… Fenton… Sorry, did you need something?"

Fenton chuckled and gently squeezed Huey's shoulder. "I just wanted to see what you're working on.”

“Oh.” Huey awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the device on his workspace. "Well, I think it's ready for another test run… Do you know where Manny is?"

Before Fenton could answer, there was a loud stomping from the other side of the lab that Fenton understood as "absolutely not", and clearly Huey heard it as well judging by his sigh as he sunk in his seat. 

"It's not like he got hurt…" Huey mumbled before picking up the wired handle. "Let's go to the storeroom--there probably is something in there I can try it on."

Fenton mentally filed a note to talk with Huey about if he'd tested this device with Manny and about boundaries if he had, but his primary focus was following Huey as the kid practically bounced on his feet towards the storeroom. Whatever it was, Fenton was already impressed with him, especially since he'd been building with minimal help. He knew Huey was a bright kid--that's why he talked Dr. Gearloose and Mr. McDuck into letting him be in the lab--but that didn't change how much it impressed Fenton to see Huey's genius at work, especially in a place to properly nurture it. 

In the storeroom, Huey immediately found a box that was full of blueprints (all were digitally backed up, but they still kept the originals just in case), which he had difficulties lifting on his own. 

"Okay, I think it should work this time…" Huey said before holding the handle on top of the box. His hand squeezed the handle, and when he lifted it back up, the box came up as well with ease. "Oh my gosh! It works! Fenton, it works!"

Fenton laughed slightly at Huey's enthusiasm and nodded. "Great job, Huey! Why don't you tell me a bit about it?"

“Oh, right… Uh, it’s a gravitational field disruptor,” Huey explained as he lowered the box back down and removed the handle from it. "It attaches to objects you can't normally pick up and essentially makes gravity stop acting upon it."

"And you built this yourself?"

Huey nodded and held the device close to himself. "Dewey suggested the initial idea, and Manny helped with some of the earlier tests, but… Anyway, I'll probably try to streamline it a bit more--maybe even try to find a way to make it more compact and easier to use."

Fenton nodded and watched the way Huey's hands tightened and loosened on the disruptor. "You did a great job, Huey. I'm sure even Dr. Gearloose and the Buzzards would agree."

"Th-The Buzzards? As in Uncle Scrooge's board of directors?" Huey stepped back and shook his head. "It's one thing showing things like this to you and Gyro, but…"

"Okay, okay…" Fenton knelt down to Huey's level and put a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to show it if you're not ready. We just have a meeting with them later this week, and I thought you might be interested. If you aren't, though, you aren't. Nothing wrong with that. It'll just be a little 'our use only' device for now."

Huey let out a slow breath and nodded. "I just want to polish it up more. And a few upgrades. Just… making it better."

Fenton nodded and stood back up. "Maybe take a day or two to step back from it, then look with fresh eyes. No matter what you try to do, though, I know you'll be able to do it--you're an incredibly talented kid."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literal thought process: I just need Huey to invent something impressive, it won't have any real barring on the plot... Okay, let's shamelessly rip off Henry Danger"
> 
> Alright, I've been awake for 17 hours after 6 hours of sleep, it's time to go sleepy and hope I wake up to lots of emails


	2. Lab Frustrations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gyro just wants to get preparations for this meeting over with, though his lab "assistants" make it much more difficult than it needs to be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I'm gonna be blunt and say I really didn't expect this to be posted this quickly. I also had the weekend off, so don't expect much too soon--next day off is Friday and then I work the weekend

Gyro set down the filaments he was working with and rubbed his temples. Why did the time crunch that came with these board meetings have to affect his genius so drastically?

Just one more invention that wouldn’t turn evil, and that would keep those Buzzards happy (or whatever their equivalent was) for a while with money coming towards the lab. He could manage that… 

He scanned his workbench for the next part he needed, then huffed when he couldn't find it. He swore he'd gotten everything he needed out… One of the idiots must have taken it without telling him.

With a huff, Gyro got up and started walking to the store room for a new lightbulb to gut open. 

Right when he opened the door to the store room, however, he was greeted by Fenton with the kid he insisted on letting hang around. "What are you two doing?"

"Testing my invention," the kid answered with a small smile. "I just need to polish up the appearance of the prototype now…"

Gyro raised an eyebrow at the answer--the wire-covered handle really didn't look like a proper invention of any sort--and looked at Fenton for a real answer, though Fenton just smiled down at the kid. 

"I can help make a casing for it after I finish my work if you want," Fenton offered as he squeezed the kid's shoulder. 

A sigh escaped Gyro and he made his way past them for the box of spare light bulbs. He never understood why Fenton insisted on letting the kid "help" in the lab beyond the obvious reasons of "boss's kid", especially when there was no way a child that age should be able to intern in an R&D lab for a billion dollar enterprise. 

(Even if part of Gyro had to reluctantly agree the kid had some potential for the future.) 

Still, the kid usually knew how to avoid getting caught underfoot, and as long as he kept that up and didn't destroy anything, it was… manageable. 

Finding the light bulbs, Gyro grabbed the box and brought it back to his work space. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the kid wrapping a layer of duct tape over whatever he was holding in the closet, and Gyro couldn't help but roll his eyes at the sight. Future potential, yes, but for now, he was just a kid that needed more supervision than Li'l Bulb. 

Speaking of bulbs… 

Gyro picked a bulb from the box and started taking it apart to replace the filaments inside. With these filaments, the bulb shouldn't die out and need replacing outside of damage beyond normal use--something the penny pinchers would appreciate for the offices, and had absolutely no way of turning evil. 

Just needed to put it together. 

He ignored the chattering of Fenton and the kid (something about someone named Zoey?) as he carefully picked up his new filaments with a pair of forceps and carefully slid them into the bulb. Before he could properly attach it in place, however, there was a sudden crash in the lab, startling him into dropping it. "Crap!"

“Huey, are you alright?”

Gyro looked over at the location of the crash and saw the kid awkwardly standing with his hands clenched near his shoulders. “Er, yeah, I’m fine... I accidentally picked up my desk...”

“How did you manage that?” Last Gyro checked, the kid didn’t have the body strength for something like that, let alone on accident. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Polishing up my gravitational field disruptor," the kid answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think I accidentally activated it, though…"

Fenton already was at the kid's work area checking him over, and Gyro huffed before going back to his work. He was hoping to avoid an all-nighter to get this project done in time for the meeting, but Fenton and the kid just provided distraction. If it wasn't for the fact Fenton had to finish his project for the meeting… 

… wait a minute. 

"Cabrera, do you have anything ready for the board meeting tomorrow?"

"The meeting isn't until Friday."

"...Fenton, today's Thursday."

Gyro sighed and pinched the top of his beak. Idiots. He was surrounded by idiots.

“That meeting is first thing tomorrow, Cabrera,” Gyro pointed out before lowering his hand. “Please be ready in time for it...”

If Fenton said anything, Gyro didn’t hear it, having gone back to focusing on his work. Fortunately, the filaments didn’t break when he dropped them, so rebuilding them wasn’t necessary, though he still needed to properly attach them to the light bulb.

Once this stupid meeting was over, everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it obvious I'm not a fan of the Buzzards? Ever since "The Great Dime Chase!" I wasn't a fan...
> 
> But hey, next chapter is when the real plot will start kicking off :D


End file.
